Collapsed 3.6 km from finish line

Cause of death: rhabdomyolysis

[Rachel Apa / Instagram]
[Rachel Apa / Instagram]

A woman in her 20s collapsed and died during her first New York City Marathon on Sunday.

She had entered the race to raise money for a Parkinson's disease charity in memory of her grandfather, who died from the illness.

According to The New York Times on Tuesday (local time), Rachel Apa, 24, suddenly collapsed near Central Park during the 2026 New York City Marathon on Sunday and was taken to a hospital, where she died.

She fell about 3.6 kilometers short of the finish line.

Her father said the cause of death was rhabdomyolysis, a condition in which muscle damage from intense physical exertion releases toxic substances into the body. In severe cases, it can trigger life-threatening complications such as acute kidney injury.

Apa had maintained strong physical condition, having played field hockey at the top level of collegiate athletics during her university years.

She had entered her first-ever marathon to raise donations for a Parkinson's disease organization.

The New York City Marathon is one of the largest in the world; this year's edition drew more than 60,000 participants.

A similar incident occurred in South Korea earlier: a woman in her 20s collapsed about 500 meters from the finish line of the half-course at the 2026 Seoul Running marathon in Seoul on Oct. 11 and died the following day.


jshan@heraldcorp.com